Most of our events are set up a little way from anywhere, so we can enjoy the space and privacy that comes with being away from it all. The last thing we want is angry neighbours asking us to turn it down.

That means that you’ll need to figure out how you’re going to get to the event and how you’re going to get home.

We recommend camping, which is an awesome part of the experience at both Charters Towers and Ballandean. Then you won’t have to worry about thing. Except finding your tent after a few of our Rocktails.

We treat the campers like part of the family and they will enjoy our hospitality on Friday night as well at both Charters Towers and Ballandean events. A little pre-event feed, some drinks and some live music, just to get you into the swing of things.

If you’re just coming for the day though, take advantage of the numerous bus services we put on or find accommodation near the event site.

Or course you can drive, there is oodles of parking at each venue but remember to bring a designated driver with you.

At Ballandean for every Stanthorpe Rocks so far, our local Southern Downs police have been waiting on the only road out to test everyone. Drink and drive at your own peril. Or simply just don’t.

We want everyone to have the best time possible, so plan in advance and rock with us.

And forget paying through the nose like you might at other 2 or 3 day festivals around the country.

A general admission ticket for the whole weekend is only going to set you back $139 plus fees and charges. That my friends, is a bargain at twice the price!

The smart people will be camping, stay Friday night, party with the Slydogz crew, then wake up fresh on Saturday and party all day, then a quick stumble back to the campground to get ready to do it all again on Sunday. Smart. SMRT.

Stanthorpe Rocks was the first, the original and is the flagship Slydogz event.

We live in a country that loves its rock music, hard rock, soft rock, punk rock, pop rock, blues rock and yes, country rock.

Adam Brand is going to fit right in, because the term rock is so broad it covers anyone who makes us want to party, shake the booty and have a good time, and he takes to the Stanthorpe Rocks stage in a month’s time you’re going to want to do all of those things.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably sort this out the night before the event and go through 17 different outfit ensembles before you decide on the ONE.

Then in the morning you’ll change it again.

However you go about it, and whether you’re a man or a woman, the Golden Rule is the same.

DRESS FOR COMFORT.

Fashion is great and you can dress up to the nines, we certainly encourage that, just please make sure you’re comfortable. Warm if it gets cold. Dry if it gets wet. Cool if it gets hot.

This comfort rule is especially important when it comes to footwear.

From the time you arrive at one of our events to the time you leave, is usually about 10 hours minimum, so wear shoes that will get you through that. For a start, the festival site is large, it has to be to accommodate all the awesome stuff we put into it. The food village is a bit of a stroll away as are the toilets, so again, dress for comfort or you will end up with sore feet and tired legs, and this will detract from your experience.

If it’s going to rain, it’s going to be muddy, take that into consideration as well.

Well it’s crept up on us mighty fast, but we are 2 days away from Towers Rocks.

A couple of our team have already arrived to start getting the venue at Bivouac Junction, outside of Charters Towers, ready for the big weekend ahead.

There’s a festival layout to finalise, fences and gates to go up, a truckload of tents and bars to put in place, all of the toilets and sanitary facilities and of course the huge stage setup.

It’s a big job and the early birds up at the site this week will have a big job on their hands.

Then on Friday, the rest of the Slydogz Eventz crew will arrive.

Some will fly in from Melbourne and the rest from South East Queensland.

The Slydogz Eventz crew is made up of friends and family of Sly and Sandy (the Top Dogz) and have been working together at the various festivals now for about three years, so you can rest assured this team has an absolute blast when they leave their “normal” lives and become a rock festival crew for a weekend.

(Sly was a chef in a past life, so three or four of the crew are top chefs, which means the crew eats very well. Very, very well. They also a like a drink too, the after-party is something to look forward to after months of planning and a huge weekend of hard work.)

Friday afternoon will start with a briefing session once everyone has arrived and settled in to the crew mini tent city and then it’s to work until the venue is almost ready to go.

Then we’ll open the gates on Friday evening for the campers pre-party.

Then Saturday morning, breakfast at 7am, another pre-event briefing and then before the gates open it’s go-go-go!!

The crew gets to work; stocking cold-rooms with alcohol and drinks, getting the bars ready to go, putting up hundreds of signs and information and much, much more.

Then when the crowds arrive, the crew is on! Due to having several festivals already under their belts, the guys are like a finely tuned Swiss watch these days, so things are expected to run very smoothly and generally do. A lot of time and effort goes into the organisation of these events and everything is sorted out down to the last.

Then the bands and the fun starts. Thousands of drinks to sell and jobs to do keeps the crew on their toes for the entire day. Spare a thought for poor Roger (Festival MC) and his wife Michelle (Green Room Boss) who have to look after the rockstars all day. Hobnobbing and hanging with Australian music royalty. Sounds tough doesn’t it?! Well it can be…if someone doesn’t like brown M&Ms or only want a certain brand of Tequila. These rock stars are used to the best and that’s why they’ve got Rog and Mich to make it all happen for them.

Then, when it’s all done around midnight, there’s time for a few cold drinks for the crew before another 7am start and they do it all again.

Sunday the crew does it all again and then it’s time to relax and enjoy the fruits of all the hard work.

Once the crowds have gone and the music has stopped, the crew has a well-earned feed and a bit of a party to celebrate a job well done.

Monday morning is set aside to dismantle as much of the festival site before the crew needs to get back to Townsville for their flights back to civilisation and that “normal” life.

Stay tuned next week for a full wrap and all the goss from Towers Rocks!!

And come and say g’day if you’re coming along…I’m the Ned Kelly lookalike who generally hangs around near a bar somewhere.

As the event draws nearer, make sure you have gone through all the dos and don’ts on our website and ensure you’re thoroughly prepared.

If you’ve misplaced or lost your tickets, give us a call and we’ll resend them to you. Nothing worse than a last minute panic, so make sure these are somewhere you can locate them easily.

Check the weather, especially if you’re camping, plan for wet weather, hot weather, cold weather, thunderstorms…this is Australia, anything can happen. As we found out at Stanthorpe Rocks in 2015 when a massive thunder and lightning show rolled in at about 3pm. For some reason historically, rain, mud and large music concerts seem to go together.

Stanthorpe can be cold, Charters Towers will be hot, but make sure you’ve checked what the weather is going to do. Forecasts aren’t always right of course, but don’t rock up without having at least checked what the experts say.

It’s a really good idea to make sure you have clothing ready, a raincoat should it rain or a jacket if it gets chilly.

There’s nothing worse than not enjoying a Slydogz event because you weren’t prepared.